The present invention relates generally to disc recording and/or reproducing devices using magneto-optical disc cartridges and having ejectors adapted thereto, and more particularly, to the disc recording and/or reproducing devices with disc exchanging function.
There is known, for example, a disc recording and/or reproducing device for recording and/or reproducing a magneto-optical disc of 64 mm diameter accommodated in a disc cartridge. With this device, the disc cartridge is loaded, for recording and/or reproducing operation, onto a recording and/or reproducing part through a cartridge holder for holding the disc cartridge. Upon this loading, a shutter of the disc cartridge is opened by a shutter lever.
With the known disc recording and/or reproducing device, however, since an error-insertion protector protrusion is generally integrated with the moving cartridge holder at the inside thereof, it is difficult to judge error insertion of the disc cartridge into the cartridge holder, which may cause a breakdown of the shutter lever, etc. Note that disc recording and/or reproducing devices having cartridge autochangers have not been developed yet which can continuously record and/or reproduce magneto-optical discs of 64 mm diameter accommodated in the disc cartridges.
Moreover, with the above known device, for exchange of a disc cartridge after recording and/or reproducing operation, an eject button arranged, e.g. on the front of the device is pressed to eject the disc cartridge outside. In this connection, disc recording and/or reproducing devices having cartridge changers have been proposed which can continuously record and/or reproduce discs. Those devices generally adopt a structure having a cartridge ejector for ejecting the disc cartridge outside, joined to a cartridge-holder portion of a cartridge loader for loading or unloading a disc cartridge.
With the known disc recording and/or reproducing devices having cartridge changers, however, due to the combined structure of a cartridge ejector for ejecting the disc cartridge outside and a cartridge-holder portion of a cartridge loader for moving a disc cartridge horizontally or vertically, the disc cartridge cannot be ejected and exchanged for another during recording or reproducing operation. Moreover, the cartridge ejector has two separate portions, i.e. a cartridge-holder portion and a device main-body portion, having increased number of parts, resulting in cost up and complicated structure of the whole device.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide disc recording and/or reproducing devices using magneto-optical disc cartridges and having ejectors adapted thereto, which contribute to simplified device structure and reduced manufacturing cost.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording and reproducing device adapted to a cartridge accommodating a recordable optical disc, the cartridge being formed with an opening and a groove in one side face thereof, the cartridge including a shutter for opening and closing the opening through the groove, the device comprising:
at least one holder arranged to a main body of the device, said holder being formed with an opening on the front side of said main body, said holder holding the cartridge inserted from said opening of said holder;
a recording and reproducing part arranged to record and reproduce information on the disc;
a carrier movably arranged between said holder and said part, said carrier transferring the cartridge from said holder to said part; and
a locking unit arranged to lock the cartridge held by said holder, said locking unit including a lock lever including a first protrusion engaged with the cartridge normally inserted from said opening of said holder and a second protrusion for preventing error insertion of the cartridge therefrom.
Another aspect of the present invention lies in providing a recording and reproducing device adapted to cartridges accommodating recordable optical discs, each cartridge being formed with an opening and a groove in one side face thereof, each cartridge including a shutter for opening and closing the opening through the groove, the device comprising:
holders arranged to a main body of the device, each holder being formed with an opening on the front side of said main body, each holder holding the cartridge inserted from said opening of said holder;
a recording and reproducing part arranged to record and reproduce information on the disc;
a carrier movably arranged between said holder and said part, said carrier transferring the cartridge from said holder to said part; and
a locking unit arranged to lock the cartridge held by said holder, said locking unit including lock levers for locking the cartridges in said holders, each lock lever including a first protrusion engaged with the cartridge normally inserted from said opening of said holder and a second protrusion for preventing error insertion of the cartridge therefrom.
Still another aspect of the present invention lies in providing a device for ejecting a disc cartridge, the disc cartridge being formed with an opening and a groove in one side face thereof, the cartridge including a shutter for opening and closing the opening through the groove, the device comprising:
at least one holder arranged to a main body of the device, said holder being formed with an opening on the front side of said main body, said holder holding the cartridge inserted from said opening of said holder; and
an ejector arranged to eject the disc cartridge held by said holder, said ejector including at least one eject button arranged to said main body of the device,
an eject lever operated by said eject button, and a resilient unit for returning said eject lever to an initial position, said eject lever being rotatably arranged between a first position where it protrudes in said holder to eject the disc cartridge held thereby and a second position where it withdraws from said holder,
wherein when operating said eject button, said eject lever is moved from said second position to said first position to engage with an end of the groove of the disc cartridge held by said holder for ejection thereof.
Still another aspect of the present invention lies in providing a device for ejecting disc cartridges, each disc cartridge being formed with an opening and a groove in one side face thereof, each cartridge including a shutter for opening and closing the opening through the groove, the device comprising:
holders arranged to a main body of the device, each holder being formed with an opening on the front side of said main body, each holder holding the cartridge inserted from said opening of said holder; and
ejectors arranged to eject the disc cartridges held by said holders, said ejectors including eject buttons arranged to said main body of the device, eject levers operated by said eject buttons, and resilient units for returning said eject levers to initial positions, each eject lever being rotatably arranged between a first position where it protrudes in said holder to eject the disc cartridge held thereby and a second position where it withdraws from said holder,
wherein when operating one of said eject buttons, said eject lever corresponding thereto is moved from said second position to said first position to engage with an end of the groove of the disc cartridge held by said holder for ejection thereof.
A further aspect of the present invention lies in providing a device for recording and reproducing magneto-optical discs, comprising:
holders arranged to hold the discs;
a recording and reproducing part arranged to record and reproduce information on the disc, said part including a magnetic head for providing an external magnetic field to the disc and an optical pickup for applying light beam thereto;
a carrier movably arranged between said holder and said part, said carrier transferring the disc from said holder to said part; and
a head mover arranged to move said magnetic head to a predetermined position for recording information on the disc, said head mover moving said magnetic head out of a transfer course of said carrier at least when the disc is transferred by said carrier.
A still further aspect of the present invention lies in providing a recording and reproducing device adapted to cartridges accommodating recordable optical discs, the device comprising:
holders arranged to hold the cartridges;
a recording and reproducing part arranged to record and reproduce information on the disc, said part including an optical pickup for applying light beam o the disc and a drive for rotating the disc;
a damper arranged between said part and a main body of the device;
a carrier movably arranged between said holder and said part, said carrier transferring the cartridge from said holder to said part, said carrier including a sub holder movably arranged thereto for holding the cartridge taken out from said holder,
whereby said part having the cartridge disposed thereon and said sub holder are movable with respect to said main body of the device and said carrier.